Unto us, a child is born…and His name shall be called Mighty God! This is part two of a four-part series based on Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah. Isaiah says our Messiah is a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

This is a four-part series leading up to Christmas exploring the names of the Messiah. When God promised to send a Messiah, He instructed Isaiah to describe the Messiah using four very important names. These names would reveal His character, show us how He would relate to us, and tell us what kind of Savior He would be. This prophecy from Isaiah is found in Isaiah 9:6…

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The second name Isaiah gives the Messiah is Mighty God. The Hebrew word Isaiah uses refers to the fact that God is all-mighty and all-powerful. Isaiah is saying that the Messiah will have all power over all things at all times and in all ways. 

I believe we have misconceptions about Jesus’ power because we often think following Jesus is about us. We think Jesus should use His power to make our lives easy or to take away our problems. We see suffering and pain in the world and begin to wonder, “Jesus, where is your power”? 

But the reality is, Jesus’ power is ALWAYS at work even when we may not see it or experience it the way we want to. If we truly examine our lives, we will discover Jesus’ power at work in three primary ways. 

Jesus’ Power At Work IN You

“For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” ~ Philippians 2:13

God is at work IN you to help you do what pleases Him. The purpose of God’s power at work in us is not to make our lives easy. Rather, the purpose of God’s power at work in us is to change us. God’s power is at work in us to transform us from being self-centered into someone who is Christ-like. His power is at work in us to give us the fruit of His Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.

In other words, Jesus’ power is working in you to change you and to give you the desire & the power to become more like Him…to become more like Christ.

Jesus’ Power At Work FOR You

“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” ~Isaiah 40:29-31

When we are weary, fried, and worn out…God give us strength and power to carry on. A great example of this is the Apostle Paul. He had a weakness, illness, or handicap that he asked God to take away. Paul asked God three times to remove it and God’s response was, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness”. 

Paul’s response blows me away. He said, “I will boast in my weakness so that Christ POWER may rest on me…For when I am weak, then I am strong”. You see, our weaknesses drive us to dependence. The more we are dependent upon God, the stronger we actually become. You may wonder, how can that be? It’s because in our weakness and dependence we allow Jesus’ power, not our own, to work for us. 

Jesus’ Power At Work THROUGH You

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” ~ Act 1:8

We receive Holy Spirit power to be His witnesses. In other words, Jesus’ power will work through you when you carry the Gospel where you live, work, & play. 

Far too many Christ followers miss out on Jesus’ power working through them because they don’t think they are qualified to be His witnesses.

I love that Jesus says we don’t have to be experts, we simply need to be witnesses. What do witnesses do? Witnesses have first hand knowledge of events that have taken place. They simply declare what they have seen and heard. And that’s something every Christian can do! 

Something extraordinary happens when Jesus’ power works through us to be His witnesses. Think about it, Jesus chose 12 ordinary men: fishermen, tax collectors, and men that had nothing special going for them in the world’s eyes. They weren’t political or religious leaders. They weren’t wealthy and influential. But they were surrendered to Jesus and when His power worked through them…they did extraordinary things & changed the world.

If you’re anything like me, you are simply an ordinary person who serves an extraordinary God. Just think what our Mighty God can do if we are willing to allow Jesus’ power to:

• Work in us… and make us more like Christ.  
• Work for us…and give us strength when we’re weak  
• Working through us…to be His witnesses where we live, work, and play